Genoa (Genova in Italian) is the capital of Liguria, Italy’s greatest seaport and birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Since our time in Genova is very limited, we focused on one notable sight, Via Garibaldi, also known as “Strada Nuova” (New Street) or “Via Aurea”.
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Genova was a maritime power in the Middle Ages, and in the 16th and 17th century, Genova dominated much of Europe in the field of finance. The amassed wealth and power in several families led to the construction of a planned series of Renaissance style palaces in the upper part of the city, north of the crammed medieval city center (Centro Storico).
This area is known as Le “Strade Nuove” (New Streets), and a quarter of the palaces here listed in Genova’s “Palazzi dei Rolli” have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. Click here to see a full list of 163 palaces.
Locally, the term “palace” is used loosely to describe any big fancy impressive mansion.
From the harbor front, we walked up Via delle Fontane, pass Piazza della Nunziata (already a part of Strade Nuove), then Largo della Zecca, and Via Carioli, thereby entering the pedestrianized Via Grimaldi from the east end of the street.
⇦ Palazzo della Meridiana
Click here for a virtual 360 tour of the palazzo.
The building of the palaces were initiated by the admiral Andrea Doria, and completed between 1558-1583. They are generally three or four stories high and feature spectacular open staircases, courtyards, and loggias overlooking gardens, positioned at different levels (on a slope) in relatively tight spaces.
The new streets and palaces were laid out in a formal manner. The design of the streets is attributed to architect Galeazzo Alessi who designed also several of the palaces.
Via Grimaldi 7 – Palazzo Podesta, built for Nicolosio Lomellimo in 1565 ➜
These palaces were named in a “Rolli” (Lists) which were official lists, initially established in 1576 by the Genovese Senate. The palaces on the list were designated to be made available to the government to ensure that the Republic of Genova could offer appropriately luxurious lodgings to notable guests, such as princes, diplomats and cardinals.
Unique stucco decorations on the facade of Palazzo Podesta.
Via Garibaldi 9 – Palazzo Doria Tursi ➔
The building was erected in 1565 for Nicolo Grimaldi, the banker to Philip II. It is the largest and most majestic building on the street with two vast gardens. In retrospect, we should have gone inside to see the gardens and the interiors, despite time constraint.
The spacious loggias of this Palazzo facing the street were added in 1597, when the building became the property of Giovanni Andrea Doria who bought it for his son, Carlo, Duke of Tursi, hence the building’s current name. The Doria family is one of the most influential at the time.
Since 1848, Palazzo Doria Tursi has been the seat of Genova’s Commune and now provides boardrooms for the mayor. It also houses the Strada Nuova Museums with Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco.
It is one of three palaces that was deemed suitable to accommodate the most prestigious dignitaries, like popes and emperors.
⇦ Via Grimaldi 5 now houses the offices of Deutsches Bank
The facade of the palace is decorated with frescoes executed by the Calvi brothers. The frescoes tell the stories of the House of Spinola (red and white checkerboard coats of arm) and depict members dressed as Roman condottieri.
The availability of these palazzi since 1576 to host state visits had attracted artists and travellers, leading to an interest in the city’s architecture in Europe. An example is a collection of drawings of the palazzi by Pieter Paul Rubens (first edition Antwerp 1622), some of which are held at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, click here to see them.
Palazzo Interiano Pallavicini on Piazza Fontane Marose ➔
In 2007, UNESCO unveiled a plaque to explain the reasons for inclusion of Strade Nuova and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli:
The largest homes, various in shape and distribution, that were chosen at random in the lists (rolli) to host visits of state. The buildings, often built on sloping land, formed of a stepped atrium – courtyard – staircase – garden and rich interior decorations, express a singular social and economic identity and commencement of modern age urban architecture in Europe.
Via Garibaldi ended at Piazza Fontane Marose in the east. We walked back on Via Garibaldi and then turned left downhill to Via della Maddelana by way of a narrow alley, generally known locally as carruggi.
⇦ Chiesa della Maddalena
Apparently, during the Middle Ages, the zone was animated by brothels which were there because of barracks and the port. This bit of history is reflected on the names of the street – Via della Maddalena and the church of the same name.
It is also interesting to note that Via Grimaldi lined with palaces is only one block uphill from Via della Maddalena that runs parallel to it.
Via della Maddalena ➔
Today, this part of the city remains crowded and gritty, and the layout of the streets is medieval. Big luminescent words of inspiration are hung across the buildings, e.g. “novita” (new), “idee” (idea). We wondered if they serve as street lights at night.
We walked along the narrow Via della Maddalena all the way to where it started at Via S. Luca.
⇦ Outdoor dining at Piazza S. Luca.
The area could be quite busy with tourists at night. From Via S. Luca, we cut through some alleys and reached Piazza Caricamento on the waterfront close to Porto Antico.
Palazzo San Giorgio (web site in Italian only) bordering Piazza Caricamento housed a prison which allegedly held Marco Polo when he was captured at the Battle of Curzola in 1298.
This battle was fought between the Genoese and Venetian navies among the many battles fought in the 13th and 14th centuries to control the Mediterranean and Levantine sea trade. It has been said that Marco Polo dictated his influential book – The Travels of Marco Polo to a romance writer, Rustichello da Pisa, while both were in prison in Genova between 1298 and 1299.
If we had more time, we would have gone further east from Piazza delle Fontana Marose to reach Piazza Matteotti and Piazza de Ferrari which represent the historic center of Genova.
If you like to follow us on this epic Italian road trip, click here for the next post.